Born in 1942, when America was escalating its involvement in World War II, McCaffrey grew up an Army brat. He graduated from Phillips Academy in 1960. Upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) in 1964, he was commissioned into the infantry. In 1965, prior to deploying to Vietnam, McCaffrey saw combat on “a peacekeeping operation” in the Dominican Republic with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was in Vietnam as an adviser to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam from 1966-1967, and then as a company commander with 1st Cavalry Division from 1968-1969. During the course of his service, he twice earned the Army’s second-highest award for heroism – the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart three times for wounds sustained in combat, and the Silver Star twice.

General McCaffrey describes how his mother and sister helped him get into West Point, he describes life, battles, and living conditions as an adviser to the South Vietnamese Airborne Division. His genuine affection for the Vietnamese people and his admiration for the Soldiers that served under his company command emanate repeatedly in this interview.

Key Words: Phillips Academy, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, Dominican Republic, Hugh MacDonald, Military Adviser Training Academy (MATA), fragging, Emerson Trainor, reunions, aide de camp, U.S. Army South, Panama, National Guard, shake -n- bake sergeants [NCOs], Sgt Dan Garcia, Lieutenant Bruce Brandeis, Walt Higgins, Major/Lieutenant General Luong, Thomas C. Kerns (USMA ’64), Captain Wsilliam D. H. “Dave” Ragin, draftees, Long Binh, H-34 Choctaw, Dong Ha , Gio Linh, Ben Hai River, Navy Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) team, B-57 Intruder, AC-47 Spooky, Australians, Koreans, Walter Reed, USS Repose (AH-16), Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), Stars and Stripes, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Arc Light, Lieutenant Bill Montgomery, Jan Scruggs and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Mick Kicklighter, Sergeant Jack Jader, LTG Terry Scott, LTG John A. Van Alstyne, CSM James D. Randolph, Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf